Deaf Identity Salience
Tracing Daphne’s Deaf Identity Salience Through Switched at Birth
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 18983602 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Ryan Decarsky (0000-0002-1403-3618, University of Washington, corresponding author), Penny Harvey (0000-0001-7765-1221, California Institute of Integral Studies), Sally W Johnston (0000-0002-5598-3169, Georgia State University; and Department of Human Sexuality, California Institute of Integral Studies, San Francisco, CA, USA) |
| Year | 2024 |
| Volume | 30 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 192-215 |
| Publication date | 2024-03-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Culture & Psychology (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1354-067X • E-ISSN: 1461-7056 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/1354067x221117178 |
| OpenAlex | W4291011662 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 47 |
Mainstream television scarcely features Deaf persons. When they do, they are usually cameo, secondary, and rarely multidimensional characters. This paper examines Deaf identity of a main character, Daphne Vasquez, on the popular show Switched at Birth. We analyze moments where Daphne’s identity, a constructed Deaf identity, is showcased. We map how her identity is salient across seasons and then examine key moments of identity formation as Daphne negotiates her Deafness. We find a strong display of Deaf identity salience and impactful moments in the show that resulted in more positive, holistic representations of Deafness. In recent years, the media has come under increased scrutiny for limited representations of minority identities; this case study seeks to contribute to that conversation by studying a show explicitly focused on increased representation. This work is important as it not only examines a show which successfully features a character with a traditionally stigmatized identity but simultaneously quantifies how that identity is invoked as a message to viewers. This paper bridges cultural sociology with social psychology to gain a deeper understanding of the importance of identity representation in entertainment media and comments directly on the social impact of Daphne’s character on Deaf presence in 21st century media
Aesthetics · Art · Cognitive psychology · Identity formation · Self-concept · Sociology · Hearing Impairment and Communication · Language, Discourse, Communication Strategies · Linguistic Variation and Morphology · Psychology · Social Psychology
The self in social interaction.
Understanding Deaf Culture
Media, Gender and Identity
Embodiment in Social Psychology
Stigma
The Disability Studies Reader
Contours of Ableism
‘Not Only, But Also’
Deaf Identity Centrality
Representation and resistance
Cultural identity markers and identity as a whole
Blurred lines
Development of Deaf Identity
Identity Development in Deaf Adolescents
Media representations of British Muslims and hybridised threats to identity
Race and Sex in Prime Time
Prominent Messages in Television Drama Switched at Birth Promote Attitude Change Toward Deafness
Navigating identity
Narrative as construction and discursive resource
Narratives in action
Narratives of identity
They were not drag queens, they were playboy models and bodybuilders’
Positive Representation of Gay Characters in Movies for Reducing Homophobia
The Link Between Identity and Role Performance
Not Your Grandma’s Knitting
Identity Salience and Psychological Centrality
Role-Identity Salience, Purpose and Meaning in Life, and Well-Being among Volunteers
Identity in Whose Eyes? The Role of Representations in Identity Construction
Beyond the Dreamers
The Past, Present, and Future of an Identity Theory
Affective History, Working-Class Communities and Self-Determination
Identity Salience and Role Performance
Social Representations of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, 1988-1997
Three Faces of Identity
Identity Work Among the Homeless
They Told Me My Name
| Citations per year | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2026 - 2026 (1) |
| Highly cited | No |